


We Are Iron Man

by JumpToConclusions



Series: The Iron Men [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: A ton of swearing, Big Brother Peter Parker, F/F, F/M, Genius Morgan Stark (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Like ten years post, M/M, Morgan Stark-centric (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pepper Potts Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Peter Parker & Morgan Stark (Marvel), Peter Parker & Tony Stark - Freeform, Peter Parker Has a Family, Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Protective Peter Parker, Teen Morgan Stark (Marvel Cinematic Universe), They're All Gay, Tony Stark AI, Uncle Happy Hogan, You'll understand if you read it?, it's meant to be like a movie around Morgan and the Iron Men
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-27
Updated: 2019-09-29
Packaged: 2020-10-29 12:42:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,966
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20796809
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JumpToConclusions/pseuds/JumpToConclusions
Summary: “My name is Morgan Stark.” She finally says, turning her head and hand to rub her mouth and taking a deep breath as she leans back, letting her hand drop to her raised thigh. “And I’ve only ever heard about my father in stories.” Her eyes flick up with the words.She sees a large hand walk a stuffed dinosaur across a bedspread, sees tinted sun glasses resting abandoned on the island, hears her fathers laugh, sees herself wrapped in his arms, face pressed into his collarbone, warm breath on her neck.“Aunt May told me that grief is just love with no place to go.”OrMorgan Stark has never met her father, but she's had the loving family to make up for it.What happens when that isn't enough? When the inability to remember him and the pressure to fill his shoes weighs on her?What happens when the guilt of not taking over her fathers legacy weighs on her?What happens when she meets someone actually worthy of it?Morgan Stark becomes a Hero, falls for a girl, tries to save the city from some magic-psycho, and get through high school.Peter did it, so how hard can it be?(Pretty fucking hard.)





	1. 1

Iron Men:  
3000  
FRIDAY’s logs, Monday 4/21/32:  
There’s a sigh; a heavy outtake of breath and nothing more for a beat, maybe two.  
Then there’s a girl; sitting in too big sweatpants on a desk, one knee crossed over an ankle, hunched over so she’s leaning on the palm of her hand.  
In front of her lies an Iron Man helmet, the eyes lit up a too bright blue that washes her face the color.  
She takes a breath, opening her mouth like she’s going to stark speaking but decided better of it. She let's it out in staggers, shaking her head like she’s clearing a thought.

“My name is Morgan Stark.” She finally says, turning her head and hand to rub her mouth and taking a deep breath as she leans back, letting her hand drop to her raised thigh. “And I’ve only ever heard about my father in stories.” Her eyes flick up with the words. 

She sees his funeral, remembers her dress, the weather, the way Mom held her hand as the metal and flowers floated out on the lake.  
“I can remember… just the feeling of him. Happy. Warm. Safe.” She’s staring with a lost look in her eyes, the helmet’s light shines white in her irises.  
She sees a large hand walk a stuffed dinosaur across a bedspread, sees tinted sunglasses resting abandoned on the island, hears her fathers laugh, sees herself wrapped in his arms, face pressed into his collarbone, warm breath on her neck. 

“Aunt May told me that grief is just love with no place to go.” A huff of breath that sounds like it was meant to be a laugh. She licks her lips and breathes another. “She probably stole that from some Instant Page, or whatever they had back then.” She lets out another laugh without humor, somewhat off putting and choppy. Her face smooths back out of it’s forced smile, and her eyes go somewhat vacant. “I don’t remember him, really. Pete tells me that's normal; he doesn’t remember his parents, either.” She swallows heavy and sits up straighter. “But I- I want to. Really bad.” She shakes her head and flares out her hands, “and I know that it’s unreasonable to be mad about the fact that I- I never got to have him, but I am. I- I am. I don’t want to be. I don’t.”

She rubs a hand down her face and sniffs, swinging her legs over the side of the desk and kicking her feet, clad in only socks. 

“Anyway, I’m uh- off track.” She keeps throwing glances at the helmet, she runs a hand through the center of her hair and fluffs it up in the back. “My name is Morgan Stark, and my therapist told me years ago to talk to someone. But, Dad, I’ve… I’ve only ever want to talk to you.”

__

Walking out of her lab to make the journey to her room feels like a crime.  
She feels wrong, she shouldn’t; really. She only did exactly what she’s always needed- always wanted to do.

“Boss?” Friday’s voice calls, her auto-mated tone is careful, slow. “I’d suggest you get some sleep; you’ve been awake for nineteen hours and thirty-six minutes.”

“Don’t tell mom.” Morgan orders, picking up her pace. “If you tell mom anything I will rename you Janet.”

“I happen to like the name Janet.” Friday retorts, into her earpiece; taking a small mercy on the teenager by not using the hall speakers. 

Morgan carefully opens her door and shuts it just the same behind her, leaning her forehead against the smooth dark wood surface. Friday turns on her room lights.  
“Bring up my projections table.” She throws off her robe and slips out of her moccasins, then steps forward towards her desk and grabs her STARK Pencil, running the smooth end across her lips; her back wall lights up as the overheads dim. Her slanted, scribbled writing (mixed with some others) appears across the entirety, labeling sketches. Her desk extends from the wall and another projection shoots up. 

The desktop follows her around the table as she paces. 

“Sound proofing on.”

“Yes, Boss.” Friday says, and quiet cricket and bull frog chirps cut out instantly. 

“Put all current holo-notes in my sketch and tech folders depending on their subjects. Pull up everything dad had on Iron Man and cross reference it with my own. Then run the gauntlet again, match the repulsor strengths.”

“Right away.” Friday runs the projection simulation, two gauntlets float beside one another; they shoot at the same time.

“Clear dad’s. Life size my design.”

“Yes, Boss. Might I ask who this particular model is for?” The projection grows a bit in size, Morgan spins it and moves her hand forward, the projection clings to her forearm. 

“Me.” Morgan mumbles. 

“Your own suit?”

“Yeah. Sick of just making when I have the ability to try.” 

__

FRIDAY’s logs, Thursday 4/24/32, 2032:

“I don’t know if I really want to be a Hero.” Morgan says, she’s sitting on the floor today; holding an ice pack to a deep purple bruise on her shin, “but, I mean, you where a Hero. And everyone says I’m like you, so.” She shrugs.

There’s quiet for a second, she pokes at the bruise and hisses. 

“That was stupid.” She mumbles. “Fri, fix Mark Three’s shin tonight.”

“Already on it, Boss.”

Morgan’s turned back to the helmet by the end of Friday's words. “Pete’s gonna be pissed, seriously, like he’s gonna be fucking mad.” She huffs out a little laugh. “Everyone says he’s like you, too, so… maybe you’d be mad...” she bites her lip, her eyebrows press together, “whatever. You’re dead, so, no opinion on your part. Checkmate.”  
Her hand drops from her knee to the concrete she’s sitting on. “Ok, that was mean, but still.” She sets down her icepack beside her thigh and crosses her legs. “I don’t know what to talk about, today. I’m not feeling particularly dramatic right now. I mean, I was, but now I’m not.” She shrugs again, “I just feel kinda shit for being able to help- having the ability, the privilege to help- and not.”

The recording is over before she finishes the last word. 

__

“There are reports of a new Iron Man seen assisting in the last New Avengers battle, and sometimes around the city late at night. Our sources say Peter Parker, leader of the New Avengers, Spider-Man, has not reported any new Avengers joining the team. More on this story as it develops.”  
A picture of Morgan’s suit shooting a repulsor beam from the chest follows his words, and Morgan swipes her hand to shut off her tv.

Her phone starts rining instantly, and Friday announces that it’s Peter. 

“Pick it up, Fri.”

“Morgan. What the fuck?” Peter asks, his bust projected from her phone screen. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, I’ve done nothing wrong.” She tries innocently, pulling up her hair and grabbing her water bottle, throwing it in the sling around her back as she gets ready for her evening run.

“Oh, really? Then why in the ever loving name of god am I getting questions from reporters about a new Iron Man?” He waits for her to respond, and when she doesn’t he continues, “You could get hurt- Imagine if your Mom new-”

“Mom will find out.” Morgan says simply. “But it’s ok. I made the suit myself, it’s top notch.”

“Morgan.” He stresses, thwaking his head against his palm. “Bug, you can’t just fly around and shit, you’ll get yourself killed.”

“You didn’t.”

“Thats different-”

“How? You were my age, you had a Stark Suit; one that Dad made you; mine is made from his and our own research. How is me doing this any different?”

“I have super powers-”

“Shuri doesn’t. Sam doesn’t. Mom doesn’t.” She tsks, “check and mate.” And then seems to think, “no, the better one would be ‘pot meet kettle.’ I’m gonna redo that.” She pauses for effect, “Pot, meet Kettle.”

Peter groans, she grins as she zips up her sweatshirt. “I’m going to tell your mother.”

“I’m counting on it.” She throws a sideways glance at the hologram. 

“No, you know what? You tell Pepper.” He says, “I’m gonna make you get the hell fire, you tell her. I’ll handle Rhodey and Happy.”

“I just got sick of only designing and not doing- Wait… You’re- You’re not telling me to stop?” She pauses, turning back to the holo-screen.

“No. I know what it feels like, ok? I just- If your Mom okays it then alright. You can come be like… a part time Avenger, but you’re keeping the mask on, got it?”

Morgan nods.

“And you’ll listen to me. You leave when I say to leave, got it?” 

“Oh my god, Petey, yeah.” She smiles, “fucking deal.”

“Don’t get too excited, you have to undergo The Wrath of Pepper Stark.”

“I’ll live.” She then frowns and tilts her head as she reconsiders, “at least, I think I will.” Peter snorts at that.

“Peter!” Comes a voice from the background, “I thought we said no more walking on the ceiling! You know it leaves marks-”

“Oooo,” she hisses, “I may have to endure Mom, but you have to endure Ned.”

“Save me.” He whispers, his form shaking as he hides in a closet. She snickers. After a moment of silence and Peter peaking around the closet door corner he turns back to the phone and asks: “Hey, what do you want your name to be, anyway?”

“Huh?”

“Well, it’s best to pick a brand right away, and people are calling you Iron Woman, which I kinda find sexist, or whatever.”

“Oh, well, uh-” she blushes, casting her eyes away, “you’re gonna think it’s stupid.”

“No I won’t, my name is fucking Spider-Man.” He pauses, raising his eyebrows, “with a hyphen.”

“Ok, yeah, it’s better than that.”

He makes a noise of mock offence that sounds vaguely like a squawk.

“I was thinking, uh, 3000 -like the numbers- with no comma.”

Peter smiles foundly, before his grin verges on shit eating. “It’s perfect.”

“Or like- Iron 3000, stay on Dad’s branding, like you.” She smiles, “Iron Spider.” 

He rolls his eyes, “I’m digging the Iron Family thing.” He nods, “but people can’t know it’s you yet, ok? You can be Iron 3000, but not Morgan Stark.”

She nods, “I’m cool with that.”

“Good.” He nods, the closet door flings open behind him she sees him startle. 

“Peter fucking Parker-” Ned yells, he’s laughing, “hiding in the closet, aye? Karen, hang up!”  
-and the call drops dead, Morgan grins at her phone.

“Friday? Activate Tell Me a Story Protocall.” She says softly, sticking in her earpieces. 

The sound of her father's voice telling a young her a bedtime story floods her ears, and while she listens and runs she gets an idea.

A very good idea. 

__

“Friday, run through all records of Dad’s voice and place them in a folder marked ‘Beyond The Grave.” She mumbles, back in her lab after a run, sweating and panting but unable to get an idea out of her head. 

“Yes, Boss.” Comes the voice, and moments later another, “finished.” 

She clicks on the folder and her breath hitches, there’s so much; years -a life time- worth of footage. “Friday, find any and all speech patterns and consistencies. Oh, and pull up Dad’s plans for you, Karen, Jarvis… even EDITH.”

The screen is flooded in her Dad’s cramped, messy handwriting and she can’t help but grin.

__

Ok, so she still hasn’t talked to her Mom about the 3000 thing, but her new AI is finished.

She hasn’t activated the protocall, but it’s three AM and she’s been staring at the file for an hour or so.

“Friday, activate Beyond The Grave Co-op Protocall in 3000 Mark three, my lab, and my Stark Phone; make this a temporary test run that will last ten minutes, code for deactivation is walnuts.”

“Just a moment, Boss.” says Friday, before: “complete.” follows.

Morgan’s breath falls out heavy, she looks at the plans on her desk and then closes her eyes.

“Dad?”

“Hey, Maguna.”

She stares at her projected notes with shock in her eyes, despite knowing it would work. “Hey, Dad.” She whispers in reply, letting herself fall back in her chair. “Friday?”

“Yes?” comes the other AI, and she smiles, the co-operation must be running smoothly. 

“Any problems with the new addition?”

“None at all, Boss.” Friday responds, she sounds happy if not as emotional as Morgan feels- which shouldn’t be possible, but as a Stark she’s learned to deal with the impossible. 

“Dad? Implement Beyond The Grave permanently on my devices unless overridden.”

“Alrighty.” Her father’s voice says, “done. You should get some sleep.”

“From what I’ve heard, you’re a hypocrite.” She snarks. 

“Woah! Look at the mouth on you. Who’d you learn sarcasm from, Kiddo?”

“The best, Dad.” She shakes her head at the ceiling, smiling, and mumbles, “the absolute best.”

__

“Mom?” Morgan says, flopping onto the couch. “Gotta talk to you about something.”

“Humm?” Her Mom holds up her finger as she slides her laptop down her thighs and finishes typing a last word.

Peter and Ned took over Stark Industries with the help of Pepper a few years after The Blip. Peter says there’s always a place for Morgan there, and that the company's hers if she wants it.  
Morgan appreciates the offer, and plans on working there someday… but she doesn’t want to take it. 

Thats not her. She’s more interested in design than engineering.

“Yeah, Hon? What's up?” Her Mom asks, pulling Morgan’s legs into her lap. “You ok?” 

“Uh- yeah.” She breathes in deep, “have you heard about the new Iron Girl?”

Pepper nods with a small, pressed lip smile. “I know, Morgan. I know that it’s you.”

“Huh?”

“Friday alerted me when you started building using Peter’s FLASH tech and your Dad’s old plans, and then not giving the product to Pete.” She runs a hand down the length of Morgan’s shin.  
“I know, if you’re anything like your father, I can’t stop you. So, I just waited for you to come to me.” Her eyes are sad, but she looks proud. 

“Traitor.” She mumbles at the ceiling. “I knew I should have kept it on a private server.”

Pepper laughs. “Exactly like him.”

Morgan smiles over at her, “so it’s ok?”

“As long as you’re safe. And you listen to Peter. And aren’t out past a curfew. And stay on the side lines for the space stuff.” She glares as she says ‘space’, then let's her eyes soften when they fully meet Morgan’s, “yes, Honey.” 

She let's her self relax before moving on to the second portion of the conversation.

“I got something else, you probably won’t be happy.” She sighs, pulling her phone out of her pocket.  
Pepper’s eyes narrow, but she takes the phone.

“Hey, Dad, what’s the weather gonna be like?” She asks, watching her mom’s face fall.

“Hello, Little Miss! Weather upstate will be lovely if you enjoy a good rainfall. But awful if you hate rain- oh, and don’t forget a warm jacket when you head off to school; which you’ll have to leave for in thirty-six minutes if you wanna make it on time.”

“Thanks, Dad.” She whispers as her Mom locks eyes with her.

“No problem. Love you three-thousand.”

“Love you, too.” She says back as a hardly there whisper. And Pepper’s eyes are filled with tears. She just nods.

“Your Dad had Jarvis.” She says softly, “this is ok, just uh- I don’t think I can take it all around the house- we still have Friday, right?”

“He- It’s just on my devices. I’ll pitch it to Peter too, maybe see if he’d rather have Dad for the Avengers stuff, you know? Carry the first generation into the second?”

“Oh, Baby.” Pepper says softly again, palming her daughter's cheek. “Yeah. Ok.”

__

FRIDAY’s logs, Thursday 4/24/32, 2032:

“So, I’m allowed to keep my AI you.” Morgan says, her hands folded under her head, she’s stretched out on the desk in her room. Her father’s helmet is perched on a paint covered stainless steel stool. “That’s pretty rad. Means I can have a conversation with you. I mean kinda. It’s not really you, is it.”

She stretches her toes, cracks her ankles, traces a line on the ceiling with her eyes. She sucks her lip between her teeth and lets it bounce back out.

“I’ve got a press conference tomorrow, first one, believe it or not.” She leans her cheek into the cool metal beneath her. Her hologram notes and diagrams are projected behind her. “Just to say I’m an Avenger. Which is cool, I guess. I mean, why not.”

She stretches her hands above her head and cracks her knuckles in the air. 

“I’m a little scared.” She confesses on a quiet breath. “Which is stupid, becuse I’m a Stark. This is like in my blood.” Her voice strengthens. “It’s fine. I’m gonna do great. All I have to do is say hi, be witty, and walk off with Pete. No big. I can do that. Totally.” 

She sits up and kicks her feet, “I don’t know why I’m stressing. Everything is gonna go to plan. Love you.” 

She waves her hand, and the recording is over. 

__

Peter hosts a Press Conference with 3000 set to make her first official appearance. And she wasn't lying, despite being a Stark she’s never done one of these, sure, she’s had poparatzi, but when your father dies defending the universe, saving millions, people tend to grow a conscious -or maybe it has to do with the fact that she’s been hidden away her whole life.

She voices her nervousness to the empty space in front of her as, on stage, Peter tries to quiet reporters. 

“Don’t be worried, Madam Secretary. I do this all the time. Just take a deep breath and pretend you’re The Shit™.”

“Did you just trademark the words ‘the’ and ‘shit’?” 

“One, Cap would not approve of that language, Young Lady.” She laughs. “And two, I’m Tony Stark, I do what I want.”

“Can’t argue with that logic.” She mumbles, focusing back on Peter. 

“So, I’ve heard a lot in the news lately about an Iron Woman fighting alongside the New Avengers.” Peter pauses for a moment before he continues, “she’s fantastic. Definitely Avengers material.” He hushes a few reporters that speak up with a hand. “So with no further dramatics, I introduce the newest Avenger, Iron 3000.” He holds out his arm, and she flies down next to him from her spot in the rafters, landing beside him in a dramatic superhero pose with a satisfying ‘clink’.

“Hey’a.” She says, looking up from the crouch she’s in, her voice is distorted to sound deeper than it is, and people shout questions at the pair of them. She stands as Peter quiets them with another hand gesture.

“3000 will be taking a few individual questions.”

“Will we get to know your identity?” A reporter asks when Morgan gestures to her.

“No. I’m not comfortable disclosing that information at the moment.” Morgans says.

“Are you enhanced?” Another asks as she waves, and she shakes her head. 

“Nope, all human, Baby.” She says, tapping the side of her helmet. Peter huffs softly and smiles over at her.

“Do you have any relation to the Starks?”

“Not that I’m willing to disclose.” She says, trying to maneuver her way around the question, “but Mr. Parker allowed me to use his FLASH on tech and some Iron Man plans for the building of my suit.”

And the questions keep coming.

She gets home from a press conference (as a super hero!) with a smile and finishes her book for English in record time. 

“Dad,” she says into the darkness of her room, laying down on her side. Facing her night stand. “Tell me a story.”

“Alright, new or old?”

“Old, kinda new. About Iron Man.” She says, her Dad never used to tell her about him(self). About Earth’s Greatest Defender. 

“It all started in a cave.” Comes the voice, and the AI does a fantastic job at mimicking her fathers soft, dramatic storytelling tone. She squints her eyes shut and blindly reaches for the photograph on her nightstand. 

She holds the black and silver frame of her Dad and Peter in front of her for a moment before placing it back on her nightstand beside bright yellow lamp. 

“In the cave, which I was kidnapped and brought to; by the way... 0/10 would not recommend,” she laughs at that, rubbing her thumb along the warn corner of the frame. “I met this guy, Yinsen, who helped me build the first ever suit…”

Morgan cries for an hour while she listens to the story, eventually having to ask the AI to stop.  
It’s early morning when she finally sleeps.

__

FRIDAY’s logs, Friday 4/25/32, 2032:

“I never knew about Yinsen. I feel like I should’ve heard about him at some point.”

Morgan pauses, her eyes drag up to look the helmet square on.

“He’s the reason I’m here.”

__

God help her.  
Why isn’t life fair? What the fuck. What the fuck. 

The cute new girl just had to have the locker underneath her. 

The Cute New Girl is trying really damn hard to open the lock, and now Morgan’s gotta tell her that she switched the locks after breaking into them, because Morgan’s was sticking.

The Cute New Girl has dark skin and an undercut with really, really coily hair that’s fluffy as fuck piled on top. And really golden eyes. Woah.

So apparently the universe hates her, because Cute New Girl sits back on her calves and throws her head up; and her wide frame glasses slip back up her nose. 

“Hey.” Morgan says, “sorry- I noticed you where having problems with the lock, which is totally my fault.”

The girl raises an eyebrow as Morgan drops next to her, slinging her backpack off of her shoulder. 

“I switched our locks a little while ago, this one sticks.” She mumbles, the girl raises the other eyebrow. 

“How?” 

“I picked the lock underneath, the janitor has a universal key. Wasn’t that hard.” She tries to keep her expression cool as she pulls Friday’s lock pick out of her bag and sticks it in the hole, letting it come unhooked a second later. “I’m Morgan Parker, by the way.”  
Morgan Parker is the name they used to ‘conceal’ her identity, though a few people have figured it out, it's not that hard. 

“Oh, I’m Riri Wiliams, I’m new.” She says, “should I asks about the lock pick?”

“Probably not.” Morgan smiles, “I can switch the locks back if you want.”

“Uh- I mean. I can keep that one, just tell me the combo and I’ll buy a new one if it’s still sticking.”

“Oh, sure, wanna write it down on your schedule?”

“Yeah.” Riri says, taking a pen from her hair, (behind her ear, she has one on the other side, too.) “ok, go.”

“7-18-23.” Morgan says, she rarely forgets a number. 

“Cool, thanks.” Riri smiles, her smile is so cute- her face is just so round; the smile completes it. 

“Uh- you know where you’re going?” Morgan asks, suddenly remembering manners. 

“Not really.” Riri chuckles nervously, handing her schedule over, “I’ve never even been in a high school- or school, really. I was homeschooled; from Wyoming.”

“Yeesh,” Morgan hisses, “sophomore year in New York is not a good start.” She mumbles. 

“You’re telling me.” Riri laughs as she puts a text book and gym bag in her new locker, closing the lock and standing as Morgan reads over her schedule. 

“Well, we’ve got three classes together, actually. So that’s cool.” Morgan says, slightly shocked.

“Humm? What ones?” Riri asks, leaning over.

“Advanced Robotics, AP US history, and Gym.” Morgan says, “but I know where your first class is, so, I can show you there now if you want?”

“That’d be awesome.” Riri sighs, sounding like a weight has been lifted off her shoulders. 

“We’ve also got the same lunch, so you can sit with me and my friends if you don’t meet anyone you’d rather be in the company of.” Morgan says, handing the paper back with a Stark Family Grin. 

“Thank you.” Riri says politely, and her smile draws attention to her nose pericing -holyshitshehasanosepericing.

“Not a problem." Morgan hears herself say.


	2. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I used to blame myself, you know.” He mumbles. She knew. She could always see it, this it the first time he’s brought it up, though. “‘Cause Pepper and Hap said he decided to do all that… the time travel and shit after he thought’a me, but now I don’t. I got over that. Now I just… appreciate it.” 
> 
> “He did, but you’re right.” Morgan nods. “Dad’d want this, right? Want to be a part of our lives, even if he’s gone?”  
“He would.” Peter nods, “if I knew him at all, he would.”
> 
> “So you want the AI?” She lifts her head, “100%? Not just saying that for me? Because if you are I have the legal right to murder you and and everyone you love.”
> 
> “Legal? Under what law?”
> 
> “The Morgan Law.”
> 
> Or
> 
> Morgan seeks advice in her brother, helps him kick bad guy ass, and has a serious conversation with her mother.

“Peter.” She starts as she slams the car door shut, Peter raises an eyebrow at her as he pulls out of the school pick-up zone, “how in hell do you talk to girls?”

“Incase you haven’t noticed,” Peter says, wiggling his hand with the thin gold engagement band, “I’m in a very committed relationship with a man.”

“But you’re bi.” She points out, “and you’ve had girlfriends, I’ve met them.”

Peter snorts, “doesn’t mean I ever figured it out.”

Morgan groans as he grins.

“So, there’s a girl?” Peter prompts, her Dad’s old Audi beeps as it stops itself. Karen is definitely doing more driving than Peter.

“Cute New Girl.” Morgan sighs, “she has the locker bellow mine.”

“Oof, how’d the lock thing go?”

Morgan’s cheeks flush. “Fine, she seemed a little weirded out but we have a few of classes together, and she gets along well with my friends.”

“So, Cute New Girl have a name?” Peter asks, turning to her, “or is it just Cute New Girl? Because props to her parents for taking a lesson from BirdBox and dropping the stupid name thing-”

“Yes, she has a name, Peter. Oh my god.” She huffs, “her name is Riri.”

“I sense you’re holding back a-” he dreamily sighs and flutters his eyelids. Morgan rolls hers.

“Oh shove it up your ass.” She glares.

“Hey! Language!”

“Oh like you don’t say worse-”

“I’m just honoring Cap’s legacy.” He says with a dramatic sniffle, “but if you’re gonna be like that-”

“Why are you honoring the legacy of a guy who dropped a fucking loading dock on you?” She sucks in an exaggerated breath through her teeth, “like I love Steve as much as the next guy, but…”

Peter giggles.

“Incoming call, Peter.” Karen interrupts, “‘Love of My Life, Apple of My Eye’ is calling, should I answer?”

“Yes.” Peter grins, Morgan tries to stifle her laugh.

“Hey, Babe, what’ya want for dinner?” Comes Ned’s voice, and Peter leans back in his seat like it’s the hardest question he’s ever had to answer; think about that, for a minute, Peter is a rocket scientist.

“Well I don’t know about Peter, but I’d love thai, personally.” Morgan chimes in.

“Morgan!” Ned cheers, “I didn’t know you were out yet! Are you staying over tonight?”

“Yeah.” Morgan says, “it’s a Friday, and I need an excuse not to do yard work, so.”

“I can feel the love.” Ned chuckles, “alright, thai it is. You all good with the usual?” he asks, and Peter nods for her to continue.

“Yep! Don't forget the extra egg rolls.”

“How could I?” He says softly. And Morgan grins at the car speakers.

“What time you getting home?” Peter asks. (Ned works in the coding and product software design in SI, Peter as the CEO and a head in engineering.)

“I’ll get out around five, probably. Morgan, don’t snack too much before dinner, don’t follow Peter’s awful eating example-”

“I have legitimate reason for my constant eating!”

“Which sets an awful example!”

“I was bitten by a radioactive bug, Ned.”

“Spiders aren’t bugs, they’re arachnids.”

“I know that. I’m the part spider one-”

“Oh my god, you two. I will throw myself out of the car.” Morgan interjects, unclipping her seatbelt.

“No you will not.” Karen chimes in, and the car door lock clicks into place, the three break into an easy, heavy roll of laughter.

“I’ll see you when you I get home.” Ned says after a moment of comfortable silence, she can still hear the smile in his juvenile voice.

“Love you.” Peter says with a smile, that looks as big as Ned’s sounds, his thumb spins his engagement ring.

“Love ya’ too, Petey.” Ned hums. The call cuts out.

“I feel like you’re holding back a-” she mimicks his dreamy-sigh.

“Oh shove it up your ass.” He mocks back.

__

She swings her school bag over her shoulder, and walks from the street parking to Peter and Ned’s apartment.  
They duck some poparatzi, Peter stops to take a picture with a Spider-Man fan, and they dash the rest of the way up the stairs. Peter is giggling behind her.

“Hah!” she breathes out as she reaches the door, one of the numbers is crooked, she reaches out to fix it; it falls right back. She’s panting, “you’ve been-been defeated!”

Peter rolls his eyes, “I wasn’t even trying.” He shoves past her and sticks his thumb on the door handle, it unlocks with a soft click.

The apartment looks small, cozy, normal. A normal Queens apartment with normal apartment things. The couch is woven and a warm orange color, in the center of soft grey walls and a fluffy white faux-fur carpet, there’s a forest green chair with a carefully stitched rip to one side, and mismatched light wood end tables that match the small chipped coffee table in the center; it’s well worn, coffee rings dot area closes to the couch beside magazines and a few fantasy books. Morgan casts her bag on the island in the kitchen (right next to the living room, it’s more like a kitchenette), throwing herself dramatically on one of the blue cushioned stools in the same motion. 

“Hey, Karen.” She mumbles into her elbow. 

“Hello, Morgan, how was school?” 

“Eh. How are you, Karen?”

“I’m quite good.” The AI says, and Peter pats Morgan’s back on his way to grab a bag of Smart Food.

“So,” Morgan huffs, shoving a hand into the Smartfood bag the second Peter sits beside her. “How’s Aunt May?”

“She and Hap are moving to a place outside the city.” He says with a sigh, “and they’re uh- they’re talking about getting a dog too, so that’s cute and stuff.” Peter shrugs.

“Cute.” She hums, “so, I’m very much going to regret opening this box, but wedding plans? Wanna talk about ‘em?”

Peter grins. “Not many, but we’ve got a venue.” 

“Oh?” 

“Mom okayed us doing it at the family house.” He replies with a growing smile. “We don’t want anything big, just you guys, May, and Ned’s parents. He shrugs, “and The Gang plus Harley, of course.”

Morgan nods, “It’d be good to see him again, what’s he doing in SI now?”

“Working with me in the engineering division, heads special projects.” He shrugs, “really whatever he wants.” 

“He only does what he wants.” She says with a hum. “Even if it’s not his strong point.” She adds on with a wince, remembering the Face Painting Incident of 2028.

“Reminds me of some people I know.” He snarks, shoving a handful of popcorn in his mouth, she giggles, rolling her eyes and pillowing her head in her arms. 

“So, Maguna, how was school aside from Cute New Girl Riri?” He asks through a mouthful, he’s wearing a graphic tee with a black blazer that’s collecting crumbs. 

“Like I told Karen: eh.”

“Ned has texted that he’ll be getting home an hour early, expect him to arrive at 4.” Karen cuts in again. Peter tried to program her to wait, but she just kinda does what she wants. Morgan never ceases to find it funny. 

“Text him back a heart, Karen!” Peter shouts,unnecessarily, another handful of Smartfood finds its way past his lips. Morgan swears she sees him unhinge his jaw, noone should be able to fit that much shitty popcorn in their mouth.

“Very well, Peter.” The AI replies.

Morgan’s lips press together, “speaking of- uh- speaking of AI- I sorta made one.” 

“Huh?” Peter blinks, “woah, damn. Is Friday acting up or something? We updated her last month- and she should be updating manually. I can have Karen do a few tests-”

“No- no. Friday is still fantastic. I just had an idea.”

“Oh, ok.” He nods, “So, what’s you AI’s name? Wanna introduce us?” Peter asks, wiping his hands on a towel as he stands, wrapping up the Smartfood and shoving the popcorn in the cabinet. 

She pulls out her phone and puts it in the center of the island, “Hey Dad, wanna say ‘hi’ to Peter?”

Peter pauses, mouth open and staring at her with wide eyes.

“Hey, Kiddo, how was school?”

Peter lets out a surprised huff, like a laugh died somewhere in his throat, Morgan addresses the AI again, “Dad, Peter’s 28. You know that.”

“Sorry, force of habit.” The AI apologizes, “how was work at SI, Mr. Bigshot?”

Peter is blinking, he looks as taken aback as Mom had been. “Wow, ok. Cool, Morgan. Damn, I wasn't expecting that.” He huffs, again, the same aborted half-laugh. He leans the small of his back against the counter, “I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t done this already.” He smiles at her sadly.

“Wow,” she blinks. “You have? Why didn’t you-”

“It was a month after he… I really just wanted to talk to him, so I had Karen make the AI. It set me back a lot in the grieving process.” He stares at her phone, “My therapist said to try it again in a few months, but I was so scared of feeling like that again… And I guess a few months turned into ten years.”

“You don’t have to use it, of course.” Morgan says, quickly, “I just thought you should know I made it.”

“No, I think I’m uh- I think I’m ready.” He says this with a determined smile, like he’s facing some big bad he’s never had the guts too. “Does it only reply to Dad?”

“No, I programed it to respond to Tony, Mr. Stark, Stark, Iron Man, Sir, Dad, Pops, Tones-” She throws one of her hands up, “I just had Friday make it so everyone could address it how they did him.”

Peter’s smile widens, she can see the white discoloration of his teeth. “What can it do?”

“Everything Friday and Karen can do, with a bit of EDTIH sprinkled on top.”

Peter takes a deep breath, smile widening, like he’s preparing himself for something big. “Hey, Mr. Stark.” He lets out on the exhale. 

“You never answered my question, Underoos.”

A crease forms between Peter’s eyebrows, the smile drops to a satisfied frown. “Sorry, Sir, just good to hear your voice.” He swallows, closing his eyes, “I’m ok, work was real good.”

“That’s great.” The AI responds.

“Do you want to use it for Avengers stuff? I’ll send you his file; he can work alongside Karen.” Morgan asks.

“Yeah, yeah.” He nods, still seemingly lost in thought. “He’d be proud of you, you know.” He says, his vision focusing in on her. “I’m proud of you.”

Morgan smiles, “he’d be proud’ve you too, Mr. CEO.” She stands and walks over to lean beside him. “I might not’ve known my dad for too long- they say you can only subconsciously remember your first two to three years of life- but he seemed like he would’ve.”

“I only knew him for three years.” He says softly, “but he did.” 

She leans her head onto his shoulder. “I’m glad he saved you.”

Peter laughs.

“Really, I am. Even if he died doing it.” silence follows, maybe a few seconds too long.

“I used to blame myself, you know.” He mumbles. She knew. She could always see it, this it the first time he’s brought it up, though. “‘Cause Pepper and Hap said he decided to do all that… the time travel and shit after he thought’a me, but now I don’t. I got over that. Now I just… appreciate it.” 

“He did, but you’re right.” Morgan nods. “Dad’d want this, right? Want to be a part of our lives, even if he’s gone?”

“He would.” Peter nods, “if I knew him at all, he would.”

“So you want the AI?” She lifts her head, “100%? Not just saying that for me? Because if you are I have the legal right to murder you and and everyone you love.”

“Legal? Under what law?”

“The Morgan Law.”

“Ohhh, haven’t heard of that one.”

There’s a pause where they both huff in place of laughter, and Morgan throws her eyes back up to his from the spot on the tile she’s been staring at.  
“Seriously?”

“Yes, Bug.” He says, ruffling her hair. “I want Tony in our lives, no matter… no matter if it’s AI.”

“I am.” The AI chirps in, “but, disembodied voice or not, I could still kick your ass.”

“I believe that, Mr. Stark.”

“Tony, Kid. The name’s Tony.” 

And Peter takes in a long breath.

__

Ned shows up, balancing thai in one hand as he pushes his way through the door with the other, cradling a dark red backpack; over packed and comically scuffed for someone who’s marrying a Stark. 

“Morg!” He shouts, holding his arms out wide as he steps in, the bags hold his arms down, and his knuckles are white from where he grips the backpacks strap, after a second it falls, he cringes. 

She grins, grabbing the food from him and wrapping her arms best she can around his torso. 

“Hello, Peter.” Peter mimiks in a high voice, “nice to see you, My Fiance, so good to see your beautiful face after a long day, Love of My Life.” He continues in the same voice, Ned glares over Morgan’s head at him. 

“Hey, Needy.” Ned huffs, gesturing for Peter to join in on the hug. 

The two men crush her between them, and she fake-gasps for air and pounds against Ned’s back with her free hand. 

“Peter.” Karen interrupts, yet again. He steps back, ruffling her frizzy hair as he goes. 

“Yeah?”

“There’s an atmospheric anomaly.”

“That being?”

A screen projects from the island, a ship is descending on Manhattan. 

“You couldn’t have warned me of this when it broke atmosphere?” 

“You said you were taking the day off, but the New Avengers say they need to override that command.”

“Fuck, Karen. Ok.” He turns back to Ned and Morgan, “sorry.” 

“‘S ok, Babe. Just don’t expect me to wait to eat.” Ned shrugs, sitting heavily at the island barstools.

“Can I come?” Morgan asks from beside Ned, setting the plastic bag on the island, “please?”

“Pep said no space stuff-”

“It’s not in space anymore.”

“Morg-” Peter glares at her. 

“I’ll leave if it gets too much, alright? You can even assign Cap on me if you gotta.”

“Fuck, fine.”He grumbles, “you have to deal with Mom.” He taps his spider pendant, settled low between his ribs and glowing a faint blue. His suit flashes on over his clothing, a very similar design to his first Iron Spider suit, the one her father made.

She pumps her fist and whispers a “yes” in triumph, her bracelets clink together on her wrist, she quickly strips her arm of all but one. 

It’s a thick band, with the center of the top shaped like her father's last arc-reactor. She holds it over her heart and taps it twice; her armor then flashes up her arm and around her body, leaving her face open. “Ready?” She asks, and Peter nods, his helmet flashing up and glowing blue eyes squinting down. Her suit follows. 

“Love you two!” Ned shouts, “I’ll save you food, don’t take too long though.” He stands and kisses the cheek of each suit. “Look at my little- aw, all off to fight aliens-”

“Babe.” Peter whispers, “we gotta go.” His voice holds so much fondness she’s half convinced she needs to retract her helmet and barf. 

“See ya’, Ned.” She grins, tapping the window so it can retract and swinging herself out feet first, she shifts her hand from the repulser position it flexed into to the spider webbing position, she shoots a web forward and uses it to propel herself.

She shifts back into her repulser position when the web drops, a booster forms around her legs; she feels a weight on her back and knows it’s Peter.

They make it to Manhattan quickly, the lowering sun gleams off the silver and blue of the alien ship, and the odd serenity of the image is interrupted by Sam throwing his shield; taking off a long, ugly, tentacle clad alien’s head. 

“Happy the Starks could join us.” Crackles sarcastically over the coms. 

“What's up with these guys?” Peter asks, ignoring Sam and swinging off of her back, using his webs to pull himself down on an aliens shoulders; the thighs of his suit shift to red-hot blades, taking off the aliens head with a quick squeeze. 

“They want to get to Thor, said he and the Guardians did somethin’ to their queen. I wasn’t paying attention-”

“I was.” Bucky cuts in; stepping out of a wrecked building with three civilians, the wingdings on the shoulders of his navy blue leather jacket are the only white thing left, the rest blotted out with ash, dust, and blood. “They killed the queen to repay a debt to a powerful guy, Strange tried to tell them Thor isn’t here, but they didn’t believe him. They said they’d fight until we hand them ‘the god’.”

“As usual Barnes proves himself the most useful of us.” another voice says; Katie, Hawkeye’s Mentee. 

“Hey’a Kate.” Morgan says as her suit whirs, flight stabilizers push from her back.

“Hey, 3000.” She replies, “you gonna just float there looking pretty-” She grunts, kicking two aliens in the face as she does a flip, standing and throwing two small knifes that land perfectly in between their eyes. “Or do somethin’?” The girls throws her eyes back up to Morgan over her shoulder, the sun creates dramatic shadows and highlights of her fair skin and shining, messy hair. 

“No, Sir.” Morgan answers, feeling oddly breathless as she falls on a third alien who was circling Katie, shooting a repulsor beam into his blank, featureless face for good measure. 

“Thanks.” Katie says cooly.

“Alright.” Wanda interrupts, her voice is huffing over the coms, Morgan can hear metal crunching as she throws a car at another alien, “what do we do, Peter?”  
“I say we jump off the nearest bridge.” Peter calls, his Spider-Legs stab another Ugly in the chest. “All in favor?”

“Aye.” All but Sam and Strange say together.

“I’ll never get your humor.” Sam grunts, flying up and slamming back down into an aliens fleshy-skull with his shield. 

“When you lived with an artist during the Great Depression-” Bucky interrupts his sentence with a huff, “you get used to suicidal humor; Steve said he was going to kill himself with a brick at least three times a day in the thirties.” He shoves his shining black metal hand through the nearest aliens chest as he guides the civilians to a safe space, Lilian Strange portals in beside him;  
The girl is ten, small and definitely unfit for battle with how little she is. “I’ll take them.” She says, her voice is high, innocent, and Bucky helps the family through the fizzling golden portal.

“Have I ever mentioned that I love magic.” He sighs, staring at the place the portal disappears, “because I love it so much.”

“Alright, old man.” Sam scolds fondly, dropping in beside his friend, wings folding up. “No need to swoon.”

“Looks like you’re doing enough swooning for the lot of us, Cap.” Morgan snarks, kicking an alien in the face and clicking on her boot repulsors, effectively blowing the things head off.

“Ooooo.” Katie backs her up, landing beside Morgan from where she jumps off a car wiping her bows bayonet of blood.

“Shut your yap.” 

“Think you mean trap.” Morgan hums, creating a lasered broadsword out of extra FLASH parts and taking off an alien’s head’s in one swoop. 

“I don’t care, whatever you got: shut it.” He responds, covering himself and Bucky from a blast of an armored aliens gun. 

“Don’t think I will.” She retorts as she flies in, shooting the alien with a beam. “You’re welcome, by the way.”

“As amusing as this back and forth is,” Peter butts in, “I think we need a bigger plan then murder.”

“Murder seems to be working.” Wanda grunts.

“For now.” Sam grunts back.

“The only way they’ll surrender is if we get Thor down here.” Bucky says, “and Thor’s hardly been on Earth since The Blip.”

“What about Banner?” Peter says, “Bruce speaks for Thor, occasionally. We could get him-”

Wanda: “Off planet, last time he called.”

“What the fuck do we do, then?” Morgan sighs, ducking as Peter chucks a piece of crumbling building at a cluster of aliens. 

“Kill until they surrender?” Bucky suggests, guiding another family from a crumbling home, Lillian opens another portal and helps them through. 

“Doesn’t seem like they will.” Wanda says from beside Katie and Morgan. “They seem dedicated to their queen, and have nothing left to live for now that she’s gone.”

“Well. Fuck us, then.” Sam huffs.

“I’m still up for The Bridge Plan.” Morgan sighs, chopping another alien in half. 

“I’ll tag along.” Bucky says, slamming an alien into the nearest building which dents and cracks with his force. 

Strange appears with Lillian and a graying Wong. They push the ship back with their magic, it groans and sputters, fighting back against them. 

“Ned says he’s contacting Thor and The Guardians.” Peter says, landing beside the Stranges and joining in with his limited magic. “He’s got him,” Peter says suddenly, looking over at Morgan with the same breath, “project it.”

She holds out her hand, Thor is projected from her palm to the space on the road in front of her; he’s still large set and chubby, hair braided long, leaning on Storm Breaker. 

“Hey!” Thor calls cheerfully, “I remember you guys!”

A few close by aliens turn to look.

“I happen to be many light years from Earth at the moment, I’m on the ruins of Vormir holding a memorial, currently. That is, if you’d like to pay your respects?”  
The aliens rattle an old grumbly language, slowly sinking back towards their ship.

Within fifteen minutes they’re gone. 

“That’s that, I guess.” Peter mumbles, standing beside Morgan with a raised eyebrow, his hair dances across his forehead on a breeze she can’t feel. 

“Thor’ll fuck’em up.” Morgan says, shooting up and sitting heavily on top of a car, Bucky climbs on the hood and leans back against the windshield. 

“I’m gonna take a nap.” He sighs, his hair is falling out of his bun in messy strands. “I’m too fucking old for this.”

“Big mood.” Morgan sighs back, her suit clanking as she lays down.

“‘Big mood’,” Peter snorts, “what year is it?”

“2033, Peter.” Karen says over the coms. 

Sam huffs a laugh, wiping his shield of a blue-green blood. “Come on, Buck.” Sam says, holding out a hand.

Bucky grabs his forearm, pulling himself up. Lillian summons them a portal to their cabin, tucked neatly away in the woods. 

“Get some sleep, Buck.” Morgan calls after them, and he holds up a vibranium thumb in answer. The portal fizzles closed behind them. 

Morgan turns to Peter, “I believe we have some very cold food awaiting us.”

“That we do.” He nods, looking over the damage with a small frown, he sticks himself to her back despite the repulsors he has in his own suit. They fly above the wizards, creating portals under rubble and alien bodies. “This is gonna cost me.” Peter huffs, “why’d Wanda throw the expensive car?”

“I can still hear you.” She glares up from where she’s sweeping a piece of building into Wong’s portal.

__

FRIDAY’s logs, Saturday 4/26/32:

“I really like fighting.” She says to her suit. The Iron Man helmet is pointed at her from the couch, she is sitting on the coffee table. “But I feel like I like it for the wrong reason, you know?” She picks up her STARK Pen and goes back to the Idea for Katie’s new arrows projected over her lap. 

She hums to herself, then sighs.

“You’re probably wondering, ‘what’s the wrong reason?’” Morgan turns back to the helmet, pulling up one of her tall stools and sitting in front of it. “Well, everyone on the team has one. Peter does it because he feels obligated and has powers, Cap because Steve chose him and he likes the thrill of saving a life, Katie because she’s a goddess with a bow and likes to help people, Bucky because he wants to save someone for all the people he hurt… And I just do it because of how good it feels to shoot something with a laser.”

She shrugs to herself, “I guess I like it too, the feeling of helping someone, but more so that I just feel… obligated to help them. I’d feel guilty if I didn’t.”  
A moment passes. “But the problem is… is it still saving someone if you do it for yourself? If I do it for myself? Not because I want to save the damsel, but because I like the distress?”

__

Morgan’s doing her homework saturday, Ned’s pointing out a part of the problem that he actually uses in SI, and the delves into a whole story about their newest product. 

Morgan’s thankful for the distraction, she leans against one arm and looks up from her half finished problem. He’s talking with hand gestures now.

“Ned.” Peter calls from the bedroom, “you’re supposed to be helping her with calculus.”

“Fuck you, Peter.” Morgan groans as Ned refocuses. “I was listening to that.”

Ned smiles, going back to his story in a whisper.

“I can still fucking- Ned, I have super hearing.” 

Ned giggles, pointing to her problem and saying “work”. He stands up and ruffles her hair. She sticks out her tongue at him, finishing the problem in a few seconds and sighing as Ned asks Karen about the fight last night, about if Thor handled it.

Turns out that he did, he pretty much punched the makeshift leader and they sulked off, which Peter and Morgan both take as an insult. 

“We killed like fifty, all he has to do is punch one in the fucking face.”

“More like seventy!” Morgan huffs, glaring at the little Thor action figure resting on Peter and Ned’s coffee table, “all he has to do is-” she makes a punching motion, “and they leave? This is sexist.”

“It’s definitely homophobic.” Peter grumbles, swinging up on the island and glaring with equal anger at the little figure. 

They fall into a silence, Morgan’s pencil scritching on her lined paper and Peter’s heels occasionally hitting the wooden base of the marble island. 

“So, any big threats?” She asks after another moment.

“Carol sent me a whole thing,” he waves his hand absentmindedly, “about a few ships heading towards earth, she doesn’t know if they’re hostile, but there’s a chance they’re after the Pym Particles, which are pretty much the only way to get the stones.”

“She tailing them?” Morgan asks, finishing up her equation.

“Yup, Strange is also re-preparing intergalactic defences. She thinks she’ll talk to them soon. Make sure they know they’re not getting the particles.”

“So, uh, the stones. About those-”

“Nick and The Retired are the only ones with the times and dates, I don’t even know were they are,” he pauses before he can start rambling, “they’re safe.”

“Not the question.” She says, pointing with her pencil, then setting it down, “why haven’t we used them again? Earth is barely surviving as it is- you guys do amazing work, but, the icecaps are virtually gone, there’s mass flooding, food shortages, overpopulation, the CO2 levels rise more and more with each day... one snap-”

“No, Morg.” He sounds a tone away from scandalized.

“But-”

“You haven’t seen the effects of the snap first hand, I have-”

“But one life for all of Earth!” Morgan retorts, “that’s hardly a question!”

“Even if I could, I don’t have the stones.” Peter says, standing, “and even if I could… Morgan who would? Humans can’t survive it, no alien will willingly sacrifice a part of themselves for Earth.”

“Thor-”

“Thor has seen how it affected Dr. Banner, and we have no right to ask him for that; he’s lost enough.”

“Drax-”

“Is not a titan.” Peter says, and she stands to fight him on equal ground.

“Fine! A human then!” Her voice is close to raising. “One life for our family, Pete! One life for _all_ of the families!”

“No- you want to put the pain of losing someone on another family?” Peter’s lips press into a thin line as she blinks. 

“Guys.” Ned says, stepping between them, putting a hand on Peter’s chest, “come on, no fighting.”

“She wants someone to-”

“She’s just a kid, Pete.” Ned says, “She was just curious, take a breath.”

Peter does, his lips turned down and eyes shut. “Morgan, I just mean that we can’t risk someone saying they’ll die for Earth just to get the stones.”

“I- I didn’t think of it like that.” She mumbles, her face flushes with embarrassment. 

“I would do it myself, but I can’t leave you guys.” Peter says, “your dad didn’t have a choice, I do. And I’m not gonna do that to you, Bug, to any of you.”

Morgan blinks at him, and Ned kisses him on the cheek. “No one’s asking you too, Babe.”

Morgan doesn’t bring the topic back up, instead she stares at the ground. 

She can’t imagine losing Peter to the stones too, can’t imagine her mom’s look of grief two times a year. No. No. One life from their family was enough, someone else can die. Not him.

__

She climbs in Happy’s car a few hours later, Peter kissing her on the cheek and telling her to have a good ride. 

She apologizes as he pulls back and smiles, he runs a hand from her forehead to her chin and tells her there is nothing to apologize for. _“You didn’t know, Morg.”_ and closes the door for her. 

“Hello, Madame Secretary,” Happy starts as they pull out, “how was the Parker-Leeds residence?”

“Great,” she smiles, “I miss ‘em already. How’s Aunt May?”

“Good, she’s very set on getting a dog; asked for me to get some name suggestions.” Happy glances over at her over the center console. 

“Hummm-” Morgan presses her lips together, “Cheeseburger. Or Burger. Or Cheese.” Her voice trails off towards the end, like she’s thinking. 

Happy huffs a laugh, “I’m gonna veto all of those.”

“Hap!” She fake pouts.

“I’ll _consider_ Cheeseburger.” He compromises, “any others?”

“Uhhh French Fry. Or French. Or Fry… I might just be hungry.” She mumbles the last part. Happy pinches his lips together while he smiles, shaking his head.  
“Wanna stop and get a cheeseburger?”

“Yup. All american.” She nods, “I wanna be three hundred pounds by the nights end.”

“As you wish, Boss.” Happy says softly, reaching one of his arms over to jostle Morgan’s shoulder. 

They pass the statue of her father’s armor out her window, Captain Rogers and Aunt Nat standing beside him, all three plated in silver. Her father’s glows blue in the eyes and the reactor, Rogers from the star and the wingdings, and Natasha’s from the knuckles and anatomically-correct-heart. 

She casts them a silent nod.

__

Mom hugs her when she walks through the door, flanked by a grinning Happy. “Hey, Pep.” He hands her a bundle of roses she didn’t see him grab. “Brought you some from that flower stand.”

“Aw, Happy.” She coos, wrapping her arms around his neck before taking the bouquet and smiles at the red and white. 

“Peter and Ned say hey.” Morgan comments, throwing her overnight bag at the base of the stairs.

“I’ll have to give them a call later.” She hums, “did you enjoy the weekend in the city? How’s Queens? Feels like forever since I’ve been there.”

“It was great, Mom. I fought some aliens. By the way, fuck Thor.”

“Language.” Happy tuts, Pepper rolls her eyes. 

“Why?”

“We killed like… three thousand aliens and they did nothing, and Thor punches one and bam! they surrendered.” She pouts, crossing her arms over her open flannel, her bracelets clink. 

“You guys killed like maybe twelve.” Happy scoffs.

“Ok, yeah I’m exaggerating but we killed a bunch and he punched one, one!”

“Baby, Thor is-”

“Thor is awesome, but, like, still, I can be pissed at him.” She huffs, leaning against the stair railing. 

Happy smiles at her, and he has that just like your father look he gets from time to time. Most of the time… All of the time.

Happy huffs, diverting the conversation, “well, I better be off, May wanted to go out for a movie tonight; can’t be late.”

“Drive safe, Happy.” Pepper lips quirk up in a smile. She leans forward and kisses him on the cheek. Morgan hugs him afterward. 

“Love you.” She mumbles into his shoulder.

“Love you guys too.” He says, pulling back with a nod and walking to the door, opening and closing it with a small nod.

Her mom runs her hand down the side of Morgan’s face, and starts to walk the roses to a vase.

“Mom?” Morgan’s voice perks up on the end, like it’s a question, walking behind her.

“Yes?” She responds, looking up from the sink where shes filling a crystal patterned jar with water. 

“How come uh- You know how Aunt May lost Peter’s uncle; Ben?”

“Yeah, Honey?” She looks up.

“I always kinda wondered, how come she moved on, met Hap, and you never…” She presses her lips together, “it isn’t because of me, is it? Because I asked Peter once about May, and he said she used to not even acknowledge some guys because of him, and I don’t want you to do that Mama, you can be happy- I know people can have more than one love of their life.” She word vomits, looking her mother in the eyes. 

“Oh, Honey… I am happy.” She smiles, “I’ve been on dates… but, I’ve never- no one’s ever been right. It was like that before I met Tony too.” She smiles down, “no one was right, and no one is.”

Morgan moves her lips over to the right side of her nose. “Sorry for bringing it up.”

“No- moving on is healthy, if you’re ready to. May was, she’s made of stronger stuff.”

“You’re the strongest woman I know.” Morgan says.

Pepper huffs, retying the golden band from the flowers around the neck of the vase, “I’m far from the strongest woman you know, Baby.”

“No.” Morgan shakes her head, looking at the back of her mother’s greying hair. “No you’re not... Val, Carol, Hope… they don’t compare.”

Pepper turns, smiling at her and kisses the corner of her lip. “I love you too, Morgan.” She says, “tons and tons.”

Morgan drops her head to Pepper’s shoulder, “you can move on, you can meet someone if you want, I won’t… I won’t be hurt, Dad won’t either.”

“I know he won’t.” Pepper says softly, petting her daughter’s hair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My Tumblr is begaystopcrime, don't be a stranger.

**Author's Note:**

> Yeet expect another chapter soon  
It only gets better  
Probably
> 
> Leave a comment?
> 
> rb here if you want


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